Gladiator Scottish Director: Malcolm Graeme

[david.hill64]

No photos today, but pleased to report that rebuilding the smokebox bottom was very easy. The great thing about brass kits is that when you make a stuff-up, a gas torch undoes your error and off you go again! I separated the rear of the smokebox wrapper from the rear former, cut back the former on one side and put a little packing on the other. Resolder and it is as it should have been first time.

 

The splashers have been added to the footplate and I have started to cut back the firebox as per OzzyO's suggestion.

[JeffP]

 

 

.....The great thing about brass kits is that when you make a stuff-up, a gas torch undoes your error and off you go again!....

 

I think British railways had the same idea.......

[david.hill64]

Here is the improved smokebox bottom prior to final tweaking. You can also see the markings on the boiler where it will be cut away.

 

 

Then I added the splashers.

 

 

 

Cut away the boiler and here is a test fit. Some filing to do, and probably a little filling, but this must be easier than getting the splasher tops the correct shape.

 

[ozzyo]

Hello David,

 

glad to have helped. but I'd have done it one side at a time.

 

OzzyO.

[david.hill64]

I have the revised tender drawings form Geoff, so decided to take a break form the tedious task of cleaning up excess solder from the loco body and get on with the chassis. Here are the parts with the new drawing.

 

 

The frames were first tack soldered and checked for alignment.

 

 

All well, so the wheels were removed and the frame spacers soldered along the seams.

 

 

The centre axle rocks about a centre pivot. 0.7mm N/S wire soldered into holes drilled in the bearings stop them rotating in the frames.

 

 

Next job: brake gear.

 

 

[david.hill64]

I used a slitting wheel to open out the brake shoes and deepen the recess for the hanger.

 

 

The brake shoes were fitted to the hangers with a short length of 0.7mm wire, which was cut back after soldering . here is teh collection of parts for teh brakes.

 

 

And here they are fitted.

 

 

With that job done I spent some time cleaning the loco body and fitting the valve chest cover. Quite a lot of bending and filing required on this part.

 

 

So before I head to the 'Pickled Liver' for dinner and a couple of beers I may have time for some of the cab fixings!

[N15class]

Looks impressive, I rather like the novel idea for the centre axle.

[david.hill64]

Looks impressive, I rather like the novel idea for the centre axle.

Hi Peter!

 

Actually I am wondering about changing it for the sprung method..............

[david.hill64]

I have been fitting out the cab. There are many etched parts here!

 

Previously I had fitted the cab beading as I thought it would be easier to do it before the cab was assembled and I am sure that that is correct. The trouble is it led me astray when it came to fitting the cab floor side and rear supports! The side supports were a nice fit in front of the rear support, finishing just before the footplate curvature. However, when i then fitted the cab floor - to do which I had to cut some slots in the beading - there was a horrible overhang at the back.

 

 

So I resorted to the bits box and found a suitable off-cut of brass scrap to bend into shape.

 

 

Much better, but a lot of cleaning up left to do. The splashers look quite wonky in the photo but are much better in real life - honest!

 

 

So that is most of the etch work done. The instructions suggest fitting the steps next, but I know if I do that now they will get bent before the loco is ready for painting, so I'll make up the step assemblies and fit them as the last job. The steps and the valve gear weights and lifting links will be about the last of the etches and I will be fitting the castings next after tidying up the cab.

 

The kit contains a host of alternative parts for the tender so I will start cutting those pieces out and marking them up ready for assembly.

 

Edit for typos

[david.hill64]

A late finish in the office precluded much modelling tonight but I did get some done. The footstep assemblies have been made up but I am definitely going to leave them off until just before painting.

 

I made a simple jig to get the position of the weighshaft brackets correct.

 

 

With both sides done the weighshaft, lifting links and balance weights were fitted inside and then teh reversing rod assembly fitted outside. I have also fitted the two small front steps but have not yet cleaned up after.A business trip this weekend is going to blunt progress.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[david.hill64]

Slow progress as work rather got in the way. I decided that the angle of the reversing rod was wrong so re-set it. I am assuming that the vertical position (as shown in the photo in my last post) was mid-gear, but which direction was forward? I may have to adjust again.

 

 

I discovered that I had not yet fitted the step on the right hand cab splasher, so I did that.

 

 

Rather than face the solder clean up operation I decided to revert to the tender. I added the valances, buffer beam and drag beam to the base, here seen perched - but not seated properly - on the frames. Next will be the back and sides. I wonder how well the flares will form?

 

 

I have been thinking about springing the floating tender centre axle and fitting pick ups. I am hoping I can kill two birds with one stone and fit wiper pick ups to the wheels which will spring the centre axle at the same time.

[dkallan]

Hi David, re the reversing rod, vertical for mid-gear will be fine. David (A). Email soon.

[david.hill64]

This promises to be a rather long post, so for those with better things to do in life, I suggest you change threads now!

 

This weekend has seen a lot of progress on the tender. The base was already constructed, so the first job was to add the flares to the rear and sides. Here are the sides before and after cleaning up the solder. I used 60/40 (188 degree) solder so that it would withstand subsequent soldering operations.

 

 

Then we have to bend the flares to shape. I really wish that I hadn't left the bending bars that Santa brought me this year at home in Derby. I used my small vice and a length of round bar, but I could have done with a larger vice or a length of strip to clamp the sides properly while they were bent. Anyway this is how I did it.

 

 

Once the bends were formed it was time to set the tender rear in place using my good friend Mr Square and tacking first before soldering the whole seam with 145 degree solder.

 

 

With the back correctly located, I temporarily tacked the tender top in place to act as a jig so that tea sides would locate properly.

 

 

I first tacked the left hand side in place.

 

 

Followed by the right hand side, using the tender front to help the location.

 

 

With both sides located, I removed the tender top and ran a full fillet of solder along the whole seam.

 

 

This was followed by the tender front.

 

 

 

I decided to add the rear handrails at this time while there was easy access to solder in place from the rear.

 

 

I added the beading to the tops of the rear and sides. This is formed from soft 0.7mm brass wire and fortunately the kit provided a length that was just long enough to go round in one.

 

 

Next was the origami puzzle that is the coal space. The instructions note that it fits through the coal doors and above the tender top. eventually I got it looking OK.

 

 

 

I found that fitting the front and rear coal plates was a great help.

 

 

These were followed by the side plates.

 

 

Which then had their beading added.

 

 

Next was the floor.

 

 

 

Followed by the side plates and their associated tops and handrails.

 

Last job was the toolbox.

 

 

Before putting it away next to the loco and going for a beer.

 

 

There is still an amount of cleaning up of stray solder to do, but all in all this has gone together reasonably easily. There is not too much etched brasswork left to fit on either the loco or tender, so I will be into the detailing phase soon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[hobbyhorse]

Tender is coming along nicely, missed the progress as just had a week in Wales doing the railways without good internet.

It's amazing what you miss when you haven't got it!

 

Simon

[JeffP]

What on EARTH did we all do before the internet? I can remember belittling computers, saying there was nowt I wanted to do on one I couldn't do as fast by hand, and laughing at the idea of this newfangled "internet".. Now, I too, am lost when it's off.

[dkallan]

Looks really good, David!!!!

[ozzyo]

How the hell did you fit that hopper through the coal hole?

 

As OzzyO  leaves the building all he can hear is laughter, then the door closes behind him. It is also raining and all he has on is a thin tee shirt and shorts (not a good sight).

[david.hill64]

How the hell did you fit that hopper through the coal hole?

 

 

Clever folds in the origami puzzle.............

[Horsetan]

.....It is also raining and all he has on is a thin tee shirt and shorts (not a good sight).

This is fairly standard wear in Thailand.

[david.hill64]

This is fairly standard wear in Thailand.

Yep: wearing that now. For the general good I will not post a photo to confirm.

[Horsetan]

Yep: wearing that now. For the general good I will not post a photo to confirm.

It could be worse. You could be in the nip.

[david.hill64]

There are some days when you should never be sat at the workbench and let loose with a soldering iron. I had a couple of those on the trot last week, hence the lack of posts.

 

The next job in the construction of the tender was the assembly of the outside frames and spring detail. I thought this would be a quick evening's work, even though each axlebox/spring assembly comprises 6 parts. Indeed it should be easy and will be if you follow some basic common sense rules instead of just getting stuck in.

 

So in act 1 of the tragedy I placed all of the parts on the side frame and carefully marked up where the spring guide/damper brackets would sit on the frames and then used a ruler to ensure that all of the brackets had the correct horizontal alignment.

 

 

Pleased with the result I tinned the frames ready to take the axleboxes and for the joint with the body.

 

 

It was only when I fitted the axleboxes I realised that something wasn't right: the brackets were not symmetrical about the boxes.

 

 

So I decided on a different order of attachment. For the next frame I soldered the boxes in place first and then added the springs. On offering up the brackets it became obvious that they were still misplaced. So both frames had to be disassembled and cleaned up.

 

I then did what should have been step 1: check that the whitemetal spring castings were symmetrical: they were not. This isn't a problem at all: the spring hangers can be gently massaged so that the ends are equidistant from the centre of the spring. I had to move them by up to 1.5mm. With that done it was possible to continue the construction. The next problem I found was that the damper pots didn't line up properly with the droppers from the springs. The pots have a small pip on them ( presumably the oiling point) which sits at the top of the front face. This was resolved by filing the bracket a little so that all was aligned.

 

 

The frames were then added to the body.

 

 

Finally I was able to add the lifting eyes and fall plate.

 

 

 

Not much left to do on the tender now. Lamp irons to form and add, buffers, vacuum and steam pipes, water filler, water controls on front plate and the brake standard. Plus cleaning up of course.

 

I also ordered some phosphor bronze strip to make the tender pick ups and some square bar to detail the firebox washout plugs from that well known Emporium on Monday. They arrived here in Bangkok on Friday, which I thought was excellent.

 

 

[david.hill64]

So tonight went much as planned, which was a relief!

 

I soldered more of the tender brake gear and brake standard and then decided that I would glue the water filler and front water controls in place with epoxy. To make use of the epoxy mix I took the opportunity to glue some of the boiler furniture in place.

 

 

 

[dkallan]

Well done, David!! You battled bravely on and won through. It's looking really good! David.

[david.hill64]

Not too much time on the bench last night. I decided to revert to the loco for a change and fitted the ejector pipe. It's held in by a couple of split pins. I added a 12BA washer to simulate the flange where it goes into the smokebox.

 

 

 

The close up really shows the extent of the clean up still required. Better do that before I add the handrails. I did fit the knobs using a length of wire to check alignment.

 

 

I discovered last night that there is no mechanical lubricator in the kit so I will need to source one. I am wondering about a working drive to it: should be straightforward (famous last words!).

 

Edit for typos.